Fuse



Oct. 3,1, 1944. R H wHlTEHEAD 2,361,518

FUSE

Filed Malrch 9, 1940 Patented Oct. 31, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE2 Claims.

This invention relates to time fuses.

It is an object of this invention to provide for a new and improved timefuse which will overcome the difficulties at present encountered.

One of the general types of time fuses now employed comprises a geartrain operated by centrifugal weights and a time disc operated by thegear train. The gear train is so constructed and arranged that when thedisc is displaced from its Zero position the gear train, during rotationof the shell, will return it at a fixed rate to the Zero position atwhich position it can release the detonating charge for the shell.

The disc is connected to the nose of the fuse in some manner to permitthe disc to be ro-tated from its zero position by the precise amountnecessary to give the timing desired, but it is also necessary that thisconnection between the nose and the disc shall be broken as the shell isred, so that the timing mechanism may return the disc to Zero for timingpurposes without the necessity of rotating the nose backward.

This invention has particularly to do with the mechanism for connectingthe nose of suc-h a fuse with the timing disc and has as an object topermit the accurate setting of the disc and at the same time to insurethe complete disconnection between the disc and the nose during thefiring.

It is a further objectV of this invention to provide a mechanism of thecharacter described which is capable of quantity production, consistentwith extreme reliability.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in partappear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessingthe features, properties and the relation of elements which will beexemplified in the article hereinafter clescribed and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention,reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a fuse embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of the same.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a modification.

In the drawing the numeral I designates the base portion of the fuseadapted to be connected to the shell, the numeral II designates the noseportion, which is rotatably mounted upon the base, as shown at I2. Thisnose is provided with graduations I3 adapted to coordinate with an indexI4. These graduations I3 are a distance apart precisely corresponding tothe angular distance through which the disc, hereafter to be described,is rotated by the time train during one second of movement and thegraduations are vpreferably subdivided as is customary. The nose II isheld upon the base IU in any convenient manner, not shown, which willpermit the rotary adjustment of the nose when sufcient force is applied,but which will prevent `its coming off or becoming accidentally turnedwhen not intended. This construction is common in the art and forms nopart of this invention.

Within the body of the fuse there is provided a time train I5 having adisc I6 mounted upon an axial shaft I'I, the time train being soconstructed that when thedisc is in its Zero position it is capable ofreleasing a firing pin, not shown, to detonate the shell' (if the safetydevices are otherwise released), but when the disc I6 is rotated fromits initial position the firing pin cannot be released until the discreturns to zero. The disc is so connected to the timing train that ifthe shell be rapidly rotated while the disc is displaced from its zeroposition, the timing train itself will return the disc to its Zeroposition at a rate of speed predetermined by the time train itself, asfor example by an escapement forming part of the time train. An annularguard I8 may be provided, if desired, extending over the outside of thetime, train I5 and extending over the edges of the timing disc, as shownat I9, so that the large and complicated forces to which the disc issubjected during the ring operation may not distort the disc I6 farenough to cause any interference with the operation of the mechanism.

The mechanism heretofore described is characteristic of time fuses ofthis type and by itself forms no portion of the invention hereindescribed.

This invention relates to the method of connecting the timing disc I6with the nose II. To accomplish this result there is provided upon thedisc I6 a long finger 20 which preferably extends above the guard I9 andbeyond its outer edge, in position to engage a pin 2| which extendsdownwardly from the interior of the nose II. This engagement between thenger 20 and the pin 2l is such that as the linger 2D is bent downwardlyit will disengage the pin completely and the ringer 20 is constructed tocarry sufficient weight so that it Will bend down out of engagement withthe pin under the force of the impact of the propulsive charge.

The practical manner of producing these results is as follows. A smalldisel 22 is mounted at upon the disc IB and riveted or staked theretoand this disc has an extension upon one side which itself forms finger2|). In this manner the thickness of the finger and hence the ease withwhich it may be permanently deformed as well as the length of the iingerare independent of the material and of the construction of the disc I6.Mounted upon the outer end of the iinger 20 there is provided a Weight23 which is provided with a slot 24 into which the pin 2| may extend torest upon the outer end of the finger 20 itself. Thus, by reason of thefact that the pin rests rmly against the flat surface of the linger butengages the sides of the slot in the disc, the device may be assembledwith a certain initial pressure 'between the nger and the pin to assist-in holding the pin in place. At the same time the 'pin itselfbecause ofits partial displacement 'is already partially moved toward the point ofpermanent distortion. Thus it does not require the degree of actualbending of the finger 2|) to cause it to take a permanent set that wouldotherwise be Athe case. The .weight 23 may beprovided with a downwardlyextending portion 25 'adapted -to engage the guard i8 to take the blowof the weight 23 without having that blow fall upon the extended portionI9 of the guard which is above the disc. There is thus no danger Vof thedisc 22 being clamped by the bending of theextension-IS.

It will vbe noted that by this construction the y thickness of the metalof the finger 20 may be chosen at will and may be so selected as tovgive a positive and complete release under action of the propulsivecharge without danger -of the pin 2| being disconnected from the finger2li during any normal handling.

This making of .the linger '20 relatively thin makes it possible toemploy a, weight 23 of such small size that there is .no danger that therotational inertia of the weight 23 will slip the disc I6 on its4bearings under the iniiuence of the rotational accelerating force. Ashas been previously described, the slip connection between disc I6andthe shaft H is accomplished by placing above the disc and, asillustrated, `above the auxiliary disc 22, a .bell shaped ywasher 26held in place by lock nuts 21,

It will be understood that the auxiliary disc 2'2 and finger 20 are madeof a metal having vsuiiicient resilience to prevent the finger frombecoming disengaged with the pin 2| under severe handling conditionsVeven under drop test, but

will be permanently disengaged by the set back of the propulsive charge.By reason of the fact that most of this resiliency is taken up in itsstatic position, it does not require much further motion to effect itspermanent distortion and thereby completely free the pin from thelinger.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention makes possiblethe setting of the connecting pin 2| much further from the axis of thedevice so that greater accuracy in setting can be thus obtained.Moreover since the length of the finger 20 is no longer limited by thediameter `of the disc IE, it is possible to construct the finger that itis more readily bent and distorted inwardly.

The construction of Fig. 4 shows a modification in which the nger 20 isbent back upon itself as shown at 30 to provide such weight as may benecessary to bend the finger and this bent back portion may be slottedas shown at 3|-to receive the pin 2|.

Since certain changes may be made inthe above construction and differentembodiments of the invention could `be made without departing from thescope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the abovedescription or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted asillustrative and not in a, limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and speciiic features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the invention which, as a matter oflanguage, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what'I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. In a time fuse comprising a timing disc, mechanism for driving saiddisc at a predetermined rate during iiight of afprojectile, including aslip connection between the disc and the mechanism, a nose, a releasingmechanism comprising a pin lextending downwardly from said nose, a,iinger extending .radially outwardly .from said disc and yhaving arecess therein into which said pin extends, said yfinger having`suiiicient weight to .be deformed by the set back forces to free itselfcompletely from said pin, said recess having a bottom against which thepin may bear

